Matt Horner

The second son of a minor merchant on Tyrador IX, Matt Horner grew up longing for something more interesting than his boring, safe life. He found that something in the tales of a visiting trader, who spoke of an evil empire and the men and women brave enough to plot its downfall. The trader was a member of the Sons of Korhal and was actively recruiting new members. Matt proved to be a perfect target: he was young, smart, idealistic, and bored.

The Sons of Korhal accepted Matt as a member and encouraged him to go through military training with the Confederate fleet, where he excelled as a pilot. After graduating with honors, he deserted the Confederacy and joined the Sons of Korhal full time. By the time Mar Sara fell, Matt was first officer on the Cormorant, a merchantman that had been converted for blockade running.

The Cormorant enjoyed a lot of success dodging Confederate patrols as it transported supplies and troops between star systems for the Sons of Korhal, earning Matt a reputation as a clever and dependable second in command. At Mar Sara the Cormorant was pulled in to assist in the evacuation of the colony after it was abandoned by the Confederacy. Matt was assigned to work with Mengsk’s newest recruit, Jim Raynor, and quickly grew to admire the former marshal’s bravery and loyalty.

Matt had never approved of torture or murdering innocents; indeed, his principles were what had brought him to the Sons of Korhal in the first place. He was disgusted when he learned that Mengsk had deliberately unleashed the zerg against the population of Tarsonis. To him the revolution begun by the Sons of Korhal had only replaced the autocratic Confederacy with the tyrannical Mengsk, and there was more work to be done. He was one of the first to join Raynor when the former marshal deserted Mengsk for good.

When Raynor’s Raiders seized Mengsk’s flagship, the Hyperion, in battle at the Dylarian shipyards, Matt was the logical choice to run the ship. He rose to become its acknowledged captain and take control of the Raiders’ small fleet and many of the military aspects of Raynor’s campaigns over the years that followed. He still firmly believes in making the universe a better place and is fiercely loyal to the Raiders in general and Raynor in particular. He is only a fair combatant but is an excellent ship pilot and a decent starship tactician.

Keeping the ideals of a revolution against the Terran Dominion alive has been a hard road: Mengsk is a master propagandist and seemingly holds all the cards. Over the years Matt has become hardened by his experiences, but his ideals and resolve remain undimmed. Matt still believes in Raynor and in the revolution itself even though some of Raynor’s doubts are spreading to his crew. Matt has done a lot to keep things going over the years, always having faith that Raynor’s innate heroism will resurface and one day lead the rebels to victory.